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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25404316">More Beautiful Than the Puzzle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponymom/pseuds/ponymom'>ponymom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>More Beautiful Than the Puzzle [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:07:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25404316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponymom/pseuds/ponymom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry needs to find a mate in order to inherit his father's title and estate. But there are lots of interested suitors, with many only interested in the potential wealth and status that the Earl of Darlington comes with. Is there a worthy mate out there? Louis is once again an observer. Or is he JUST an observer?</p><p>This story will be a challenge within a challenge, a story about a challenge inside of this Wordplay challenge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>More Beautiful Than the Puzzle [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Prompt 3.4: Sin</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>More Beautiful Than the Puzzle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "sin". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sin">click here</a>, and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1-3), <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works">click here</a>. You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge <a href="https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/622306139518926848/wordplay-2020-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt">here</a>.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Part 3</p><p>Day after day, two would-be suitors would come onto the grounds of the castle in search of the viscounts’ cat. Louis continued to observe their antics from his vantage point under the tree in the garden. Several more tried various types of toys and lures to try to tempt the cat and retrieve the key. This day however, saw something a bit more sinister, perhaps in revealing the nature of the person using such a method.</p><p>Louis was observing the methods of one searcher who was on hands and knees crawling about the garden, perhaps in some way trying to make themselves appear to be a cat and therefore, more approachable. What they were succeeding in doing was scrambling about ungracefully and making a mess out of their trousers. Then the second searcher entered the garden, </p><p>This new entrant had in his hands something made of metal. Louis leaned forward a bit trying to see exactly what it was in the hands of the newcomer, but couldn’t quite make it out. Then the bits of metal were set down on the ground near some bushes that the cat had been seen around previously. Louis gasped in astonishment as he realized what it was. It was a trap! A vicious metal trap that would normally be used for catching mink or ferrets, but this time was set out to trap a cat. Louis scowled as the man set up the trap and baited it with some fish. This was so wrong, Louis thought to himself. Setting a trap like that where the cat could get hurt just to catch the viscount was a sin to be certain. The man made some final adjustments to the trap then seemed pleased with the result and exited the garden presumably to come back later to find what had been caught.</p><p>Louis wasn’t at all sure that he thought this was a good person who set this trap. If a person goes to such lengths to catch a beloved pet, what would that person do to the actual person? As much as Louis wanted to be the person who obtained the key, he also didn’t want to sabotage any of the others methods, that wouldn’t be right either. But this trap was wrong, dead wrong.</p><p>Louis sat pondering the quandary for some time. The searcher who had been crawling around eventually moved to another part of the garden to continue his routine of imitation to lure the cat to him. The garden was still and empty, or so Louis thought. </p><p>Suddenly, there was a rustle in some bushes and the cat emerged cautiously, looking about before leaping out onto the lawn. Louis held his breath hoping that the cat stayed far away from the evil trap. But then the cat headed in the direction of the trap, perhaps lured there by the scent of the fish laid out. The closer that the cat got to the location of the trap, the more nervous Louis got. It was wrong to interfere with the methods of the other searchers, but it was dead wrong to use a brutal trap like this one.</p><p>The cat carefully inched closer to the fish laid out temptingly and then, SNAP! The jaws of the trap came up and caught the leg of the cat. The cat jumped in fright and started crying. Louis decided then and there that this wasn’t right and ran over to the location of the trapped cat. He got to the cat and looked over the situation. Although the cat was well and truly trapped, there didn’t seem to be any injury, but if the cat had stayed caught, the trap could have done some serious damage to the cats leg. Louis looked over the trap cautiously and tried to sooth the cat into staying still while he tried to figure out how to release the animal. Then something occurred to him. Here he was, with the cat and the bag containing the bronze key easily within his reach. The temptation was real, everything was there within his grasp, except it wasn’t right. Louis shook those thoughts from his head and once again went to the task of finding a way to release the cat from the trap. He finally located the latch for the trap and carefully released the mechanism. The cat sprang free and ran across the garden to disappear into another group of bushes. Louis sat and watched as the cat ran free, knowing that his chance at catching the cat and the key was gone this time. He reset the trap and went back to his tree to continue his watch.</p><p>Some time later, the crawling suitor came back and after wandering around a bit, came upon the trap with the fish. This man seemed to have more morals than the one who had placed the trap, for he immediately jumped up to inform the steward of the thing. The steward came and inspected the trap with a frown upon his face, then summoned a guard from the castle grounds. After receiving some instructions from the steward, the guard left and returned shortly with the man who had set the trap. The steward confronted the man for his use of the trap and was removed from the garden for the use of it, as well as removed from the possibility of catching the cat. Louis breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>“That was a close shave, wasn’t it?” a voice beside him observed. It was Harry, once again. </p><p>“Yes, that would have ended badly if the cat had gotten into that trap. That wasn’t right to even try to do that. What kind of person deploys such a method to catch a cat? What kind of person would that have been for a mate?” Louis questioned. </p><p>“Good thing the cat didn’t find that thing” Harry replied, looking closely at Louis for his reaction.</p><p>Louis met Harry’s gaze levelly. He wasn’t certain how to respond. Should he say that the cat HAD found the trap so that Harry could have the animal checked to injury, but would then reveal his interference? Or should he hold his tongue and allow things to proceed?</p><p>“Actually, the cat did find the trap,’ Louis responded, deciding to come clean. “I went and released the cat from the trap as soon as it got trapped. I couldn’t bear seeing what would happen to it and to the viscount at the hands of a person who thought that a trap was the only way to catch the cat.” While Louis was willing to come clean about how he had set the cat free, he wasn’t about to let on that he knew who Harry was.</p><p>Harry looked thoughtful at Louis’ confession. He carefully sat down next to Louis. “That was quite the risk you took, setting the cat free when you could have just taken the cat and the key to the steward and say that you had caught the animal. Why didn’t you?”<br/>
“That would not have been right. I am not one of the suitors, I just wanted to see them making fools of themselves in this challenge. If I were to consider entering this challenge, I would want to be able to win fairly, not by such a cruel method as a trap and not by undercutting another either.”</p><p>They both sat in silence, watching the remaining suitor go on to crawl around, giving the occasional meow in the continuing hopes of drawing out the cat. Louis chuckled ruefully at the sight. “I would rather see the viscount with someone willing to mortify themselves in this manner than to be at the hands of someone willing to trap a cat.”</p><p>Harry once again directed his gaze to the handsome and now seeming kind and considerate young man seated beside him. “Yes, that is something to consider in a future mate. As is kindness.” Harry then got up and brushed off his clothes, which were once again not exactly what Louis would expect to see the viscount wearing, being more casual than even clothes for riding. “Hope the rest of your observations are enlightening then” He called out as he started away. </p><p>Louis looked after the retreating form of the viscount, only then noticing the slight limp in his gait, as if he had tripped up on something. Louis had a thought then immediately dismissed it as  a mere coincidence.</p>
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